This guest post was written by Vera Dimoplon. Vera is a graduate student at the Seton Hall School of Diplomacy and International Relations. Her specializations are in International Organizations, Global Negotiations and Conflict Management. Vera’s interests are the operation of international institutions in multilateral community and negotiations among multinational actors.
Starting 1 January 2017, the UN will have a new Secretary-General. Who are the candidates? What are some of the highlights of the selection process of 2016? In attempt to make the process as transparent and inclusive as possible, a variety of events have been hosted this year to introduce the candidates and their perspectives for the future of the UN.
If you have not been paying attention to the selection process, these resources will help you get informed about the candidates, their views and what the process of selecting the next Secretary-General is.
Selecting the next UN Secretary-General: Opening up the process
On 26 September 2015, a high-level meeting was held to discuss the need for a transparent selection and appointment process of the next Secretary-General. Key criteria for a candidate were also discussed at this meeting.
Candidates:
Dr. Srgjan Kerim-Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia
Prof. Dr. sc. Vesna Posic-Republic of Croatia (Withdrawn)
Dr. Igor Lukšić-Montenegro (Withdrawn)
Dr. Danilo Türk-Slovenia
Ms. Irina Bokova-Bulgaria
Ms. Natalia Gherman-Republic of Moldova
Mr. António Guterres-Portugal
Ms. Helen Clark-New Zealand
Mr. Vuk Jeremić-Republic of Serbia
Ms. Susana Malcorra-Argentina
Mr. Miroslav Lajčák-Slovak Republic
Ms. Christiana Figueres-Costa Rica (Withdrawn)
Ms. Kristalina Georgieva-Bulgaria
The UN Debate
The UN Debate was a televised event to introduce candidates who submitted their vision statement and desire to compete for a position of the next Secretary-General. Candidates had a chance to introduce themselves, state their vision for the UN and participate in debates with their opponents. You can watch both sessions of the debates here.
International Peace Institute Interviews
The International Peace Institute (IPI) hosted individual interviews for every candidate for the new Secretary-General. Candidates were given time to introduce their vision statement for the UN and answer questions from the audience.
Dr. Srgjan Kerim Interview
Prof. Dr. sc. Vesna Posic (Withdrawn) Interview
Dr. Igor Lukšić (Withdrawn) Interview
Dr. Danilo Türk
Ms. Irina Bokova
Ms. Irina Bokova Interview
Ms. Natalia Gherman Interview
Mr. António Guterres Interview
Ms. Helen Clark
Mr. Vuk Jeremić Interview
Ms. Susana Malcorra
Mr. Miroslav Lajčák Interview
Ms. Christiana Figueres (Withdrawn) Interview
Ms. Kristalina Georgieva: Prior to joining the other candidates in the process of being considered for a position of the next Secretary-General (29 September 2016), Ms. Kristalina Georgieva was interviewed by IPI on Coping with a Changing World (22 September 2016)
Procedure of Selecting and Appointing the next UN Secretary- General
Here you can find everything you need to know about the process of selecting the next UN Secretary-General: the names of the candidates, their vision statements, as well as other necessary information that will keep you informed about the process.
-Vera Dimoplon